In this episode of the FocusCore Podcast, host David Sweet interviews Menya Hinga, a certified health coach and co-founder of SOGO Fitness. The discussion revolves around the challenges high-performing professionals face in maintaining their health while balancing work and personal life. Menya shares his personal journey from aspiring lawyer to health coach, emphasizing the importance of sleep, nutrition, fitness, and stress management. He also discusses his approach to sustainable habit formation and offers practical tips for achieving long-term health and fitness goals.

In this episode you will hear:

• Menya’s journey into Health and Fitness
• Importance of the Big Four: Food, Fitness, Sleep, and Stress
• Why sleep and nutrition are often neglected by busy professionals
• The role of stress management in achieving overall well-being
• Impacting Lives Through Fitness

The latest FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide

About Menya:

Menya Hinga is a Tokyo-based health coach who helps busy professionals simplify fitness. Originally from Massachusetts, he’s spent over 13 years helping people get stronger, leaner, and feel better in their bodies. He is the founder of MH Health Coaching and co-founder of SOGO Fitness. He is also a  level one certified functional strength coach, a level one certified nutrition coach, a certified personal trainer. Menya blends practical strategies with proven systems to help clients build habits that last. When he’s not coaching, he’s reading, playing piano, or getting a workout in by chasing his four kids around the house.

Connect with Menya:

Website: https://www.menyahinga.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menyahinga/

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

In this episode of the Focus podcast, host David Sweet interviews Loïc Pecondon-Lacroix, an accomplished finance-driven leader with experience in B2B industries across China, Japan, and Germany. Loïc, currently the President and Representative director of a ABB group in Tokyo, Japan, shares his thoughts on leadership, business transformation, and the cultural nuances of working in Japan. The discussion emphasizes the importance of patience, shared vision, and flexibility in driving organizational change. Loïc also touches upon digital transformation, ESG investments, managing up, and the future of leadership. Throughout the episode, Loïc's engaging personal motto and experiences highlight his commitment to learning, development, and effective team management.

The latest FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide

In this episode you will hear:

• Key strategies for leadership in cross-cultural contexts
• Lessons in digital transformation and crisis management
• The hidden impacts of ESG initiatives in the corporate world
• How courage is pivotal in executing ambitious changes
• Loïc’s unique motto and career philosophy

About Loïc:

Loïc is an accomplished finance-driven leader with extensive experience in industrial B2B business across China, Japan and Germany. A Frenchman in Tokyo, Japan, he recently joined the ABB group as President and Representative Director. Loïc’s career has developed with 3 core competencies: Strategy, Value Creation, and Governance. An apprentice leader, he is eager to continue to learn, develop and ensure knowledge is shared among teams and peers.

Known for his high energy, strong communication skills, and ability to lead and motivate teams, Loïc excels in crisis management, digital transformation, and key relationship building.

His motto: “I live and work in a tango of passion and reason, with the tenacious conviction and the discrete ambition to contribute.”

Connect with Loïc:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/loicpl/

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.

2025 Salary Guide

In this episode of the FocusCore Podcast, host David Sweet interviews Carlo La Porta, Managing Director of Mpowered Sales about the challenges of disengagement in large Japanese firms. Carlo discusses his 35-year career in Japan, his book on generational management issues, and the importance of empowering employees. He shares insights on the evolution of Japanese business practices, the differences in management styles among generations, and the issue of low employee motivation. Carlo outlines his six-step delegation process and emphasizes the need for better communication and delegation to enhance team performance. He also highlights the plans for expanding MPowered's training programs to help improve leadership and productivity in Japanese SMEs.

In this episode you will hear:

• The evolution of Japanese business practices
• The key to successful delegation and leadership
• Carlo's unique journey and what keeps him dedicated
• The roots of motivation and how to nurture it in the workplace
• How delegation can boost team performance and drive change
• Carlo's approach to Mission Command and Servant Leadership

About Carlo La Porta:

Carlo La Porta is  the Motivation Architect and Managing Director of Empowered Sales K.K. He has built his 35-year career around designing and delivering business solutions in Japan. Drawing on his experience in multinational, multilingual, and multicultural organizations, as well as fully Japanese environments fluent in both local and western business practices. He believes in empowering teams to perform at their best. This conviction led him to establish MPowered Sales K.K. dedicated to evaluating. Employee work life quality and productivity with a focus on Japanese SMEs.

Carlo has also written a book in Japanese focusing on people management issues in Japanese environments due to the generation gap. The book is entitled in Japanese, “The Reiwa Era Leadership Revolution” and uh, of course that can be found on Amazon and it's been very, uh, popular with male managers in their forties and fifties. Carlo has held roles at KPMG consulting, bearing point, low end down Masai, which is now aiming Japan and Thompson Financial Services. He's worked with such prestigious clients as IKK Brita, Ong, NTT Urban Develop. Bent, MHI and Luxottica among many others. He's a graduate of Tokyo University where he focused on international trade in Japanese.

He holds an N1 Japanese language certification, which means he speaks nipon, go very well, as well as a plethora of other languages, including English, Italian, French, German, and he's lived in Japan for three decades and calls it.

The latest FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide

Connect with Carlo La Porta:

Website: https://mpoweredsales.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlolaporta/

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: